Red Cross Decoration, Part I: The Red Cross Merit Star

Date Issued: The Red Cross Decoration (Ehrenzeichen vom Roten Kreuz) was authorized on August 22, 1914 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the 1864 ratification of the Geneva Convention and was issued until 1923.

Reason Issued: This decoration was issued for meritorious service in support of the Red Cross, in time of war. The insignia with war decoration was an award for actions in support of the humane efforts of the Red Cross. The insignia without war decoration were issued for significant donations to the Red Cross in support of the war effort. The class of the decoration received was determined for those with war decoration by the rank of the recipient and for those without war decoration by the amount of the donation.

Classes or Types: This decoration was originally issued in three classes with a forth class: the Officer Merit Cross, added in 1915.

Red Cross Merit Star with and without war decoration

Red Cross Decoration First Class with and without war decoration

Red Cross Officer Cross with war decoration (July 22, 1915-1918)

Red Cross Decoration Second Class with and without war decoration

Interesting Facts:

The awards without war decoration were given to recognize a donation to the Red Cross in support of the war effort. In the case of the Red Cross Merit Star the required donation was 1,500 Krona per year

The Red Cross Merit Star and first Class Decoration could only be issued by the Emperor

Emperor Franz Joseph was the Proprietor of the Red Cross and thus of the decoration

Nominations for the Red Cross Merit Star had to be made by the Patron, Acting Patron of the Red Cross or the Administrator of the Red Cross.

Red Cross Merit Star with war decoration obverse (Figure 1): A vaulted silver Latin cross with chased edges. Inside the edge of the cross is a wide band of opaque white enamel. Inside the white portion of the cross is the body of the cross, which is enameled transparent red. A fine chased line of silver separates the white and red portions of the cross. In the center of the cross is a silver edged circle of transparent red enamel 20 mm in diameter on which is inscribed in silver letters PATRIAE AC HVMANITATI (Patriotism and Humanity). Inside the circle is a silver edged transparent red enameled Geneva cross on a white opaque enameled background. Between the arms of the cross are bundles of silver rays. Each bundle is composed of seven diamond cut rays with the center rays being longer than the rest. Passing over the arms of the cross and under the rays is a green enameled wreath composed of laurel on the viewers right and oak on the left. The wreath is tied at the bottom with a silver bow and has red enameled berries.

Figure 2: Red Cross Merit Star. Image from the author’s archive.

Red Cross Merit Star obverse (Figure 2): A vaulted silver Latin cross with chased edges. Inside the edge of the cross is a wide band of opaque white enamel. Inside the white portion of the cross is the body of the cross which is enameled transparent red. A fine chased line of silver separates the white and red portions of the cross. In the center of the cross is a silver edged circle of transparent red enamel 20 mm in diameter in which is inscribed in silver letters PATRIAE AC HVMANITATI (Patriotism and Humanity). Inside the circle is a transparent silver edged red enameled Geneva cross on a white opaque enameled background. Between the arms of the cross are bundles of silver rays. Each bundle is composed of seven diamond cut rays. The center rays are longer than the others.

Red Cross Merit Star reverse (Figure 3) : A plain silver Latin cross. In the center of the cross is a silver edged circle of transparent red enamel with a white enameled center medallion within which are the dates 1864 and 1914, in silver, one above the other. On the upper arm of the cross is a suspension pin and on the lower arm is the clasp into which it fits. The cross with war decoration has an applied wreath the reverse of which is plain.

Red Cross Merit Star with war decoration = 64 of which 7 were awarded to women and 9 to foreigners

Red Cross Merit Star = 8, 1 of which was awarded to a women and 4 to foreigners (3 of those who received the merit star later received it with the war decoration).

Figure 4: Red Cross Merit Star case. Image from the author’s archive.

Case (Figure 4): The MeritStar case is rhomboid shaped and is covered by red leather or red cloth: Cases most often are red leather on the top and sepia on the bottom. They are fitted inside with a plush simulated velvet interior which may be either black or white. The interior of the lid is white satin and often has the maker’s logo. They are engraved on the top with a metal crown and gold lettering (Patriae/ ac /Humanitati/ 1864-1914). Translation: Patriotism and humanity 1864-1914.

Ribbon (Figure 5): The merit star being a pin back decoration did not have a ribbon. However A small rectangular ribbon for this decoration was introduced on October 27, 1917 with an attachment to indicate the specific award of the merit star.

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Capt Sir Alexander Gordon, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Lissa, and also claimed this NGS clasp along with six other clasps. One of 3 confirmed 7 clasp NGS medals. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee” overseeing the institution of the NGS medal 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1949)

KCB 2 Jan 1815, Kt.B 29 Jun 1815, GCB 5 Jul 1855
Died on 8 Jan 1869

Capt Sir Edward Hamilton, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Surprise wh. Hermione, and claimed the NGS medal with clasp for this action as well. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)

Kt.B 1 Feb 1800, KCB 2 Jan 1815, Bt 26 Jan 1819
Died on 21 Mar 1851

Capt John Talbot, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for Victorious wh. Rivoli, and also claimed the NGS with this clasp. His medal group sold at Spink in Jun 1982. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)

R-Adm Edward Codrington, GCB

R-Adm Sir George Cockburn, GCB

Claimed a six clasp NGS medal, supposedly the only medal issued to a Rear Admiral. The medal is in the NMM. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 20 Feb 1818
Died on 19 Aug 1853

Sir Thomas Byam Martin, wearing the KCB star only, having been invested, but not installed in the Order yet.

R-Adm Sir Thomas Byam Martin, GCB

A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. As Captain of HMS Santa Margarita captured the French frigate Tamise, June 1796. Commanding HMS Fisgard he captured the French Immortalité off Tory Island in October 1798. In the Baltic in August 1808, as Captain of HMS Implacable, took part in the capture the Russian ship Sewolod. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee’ overseeing the institution of the NGS medal in 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

Adm the Hon Sir Robert Stopford, GCB

Small Naval Gold medal for St. Domingo. He directed the operations that resulted in the capture of Java on 8 August 1811. His last active post, in his early seventies, was as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet during the Syrian War. Claimed the NGS medal with six clasps, the medal is in the NMM. Colonel of the Royal Marines on 9 November 1805. Governor of Greenwich Hospital from 1 May 1841 till his death. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 6 Jun 1831, GCMG 10 May 1837
Died on 25 June 1847

Adm. Sir William James Whitshed, GCB

A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for St. Vincent, which was stolen in 1900 from Greenwich Hospital (with Nelson’s Gold medals). Claimed the NGS medal with ‘St. Vincent’ clasp, the medal is in a private collection in the UK. Shown here as a GCB with Gold Medal. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 17 Nov 1830
Died on 28 Oct 1849

The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath

• Of the Knights appointed towards the end of the 18th and early 19th century there are a number of notable Naval Officers (list not complete):

Commander Thomas Wells, RN

Was made a Lieutenant on 6 July, 1795, and promoted to the rank for Commander on 26th November 1808. On the first of that month, being then acting in the Cruizer sloop, he engaged a Danish flotilla, near Gottenburgh, captured the cutter Lykkelig, of ten four-pounders, and compelled her consorts, about twenty in number, to take refuge under the island of Læsø. In the summer of 1811, he was appointed to the Phipps sloop; and on the 11th March 1812, we find him capturing Le Cerf, French lugger privateer, of five guns and thirty-one men. On the 4th May following, he assisted at the recapture of H.M. sloop Apelles. This officer died on the continent, in 1825.

The only information appearing to be available for this unclaimed clasp can be found in the London Gazette issue of 1849, where the approved NGS clasps were published:

Boats of ‘Fawn’ under Lieut. Morgan. Action with cutter and schooner ‘Guadaloupe’, and capture.

A search of the Navy List from 1793-1815 reveals a total of 18 commissioned officers with the surname of Morgan. Of these, 9 have a Lieutenant’s commission date after 25 July 1809 or died before that date and can be ruled out. Of the remaining, three died between 1817-22 before receiving a promotion and must also be ruled out. Out of the remaining six, four have entries in either Marshall’s or O’Byrne’s Naval Biographies, two with service records, but these two do not mention anything about the action, which would be highly unlikely if it resulted in the man’s promotion. This leaves four potential candidates, one being promoted as late as 1827, he is probably not the man. The remaining three were promoted to Commander between 1814-16, and could all have been the man in charge. Unfortunately, all died between 1817-43, and it’s not likely much biographical information on either of them can be found.

Name

Lieut

Cmd

Died

MORGAN, John Fortescue

15 Sep 1806

12 Oct 1814

9 Dec 1843

MORGAN, Thomas

10 May 1809

16 Nov 1814

Apr 1843

MORGAN, Charles

15 Jun 1781

1 Jan 1816

1817

MORGAN, James (1)

2 Sep 1783

25 Apr 1827

1835

One would have to search the muster books for HMS Fawn to identify who the Lieutenant was.